Virtual Dementia Tours Provide Insight For Caregivers

October 25th, 2016 by admin

Caring for someone with dementia can be overwhelming and frustrating for many family members. It is sometimes difficult to understand how someone once so independent and full of life has now become the opposite. Many familial caregivers struggle to provide dementia care because understanding exactly what their loved one with Alzheimer’s or another memory disorder is experiencing can be challenging.

Family caregivers often report that they easily become frustrated when a dementia patient can’t remember or complete tasks as he or she once did, but it is almost impossible to understand how this impacts your loved one from their point of view. The recently developed Virtual Dementia Tour allows family members to get a small taste of what their loved ones experience.

During the tour, the participant is weighed down by physical obstacles. They must use painful shoe inserts to simulate arthritis and neuropathy, as well as gloves that mimic a loss of touch. The participant has to put on yellow goggles that create tunnel vision and blur his or her sight. Finally, a headset is placed on the participant's head that pumps in radio static and voices that cut in and out to create confusion.

Participants become highly confused, will repeat and fixate on certain parts of the tasks, and will often give up from exhaustion and frustration. The experience is often highly emotional for those who partake in the tour. It’s usually the first time they can truly comprehend what their loved one has gone through.

The Virtual Dementia Tour has been proven to have a significant impact on the level of caregivers’ understanding. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have access to these tools, but one of the best resources at our disposal are those who work in memory care units.

To avoid caretaker burnout and to provide a comprehensive care plan for dementia, the best solution may be to seek treatment in memory care units located in assisted living facilities. The experienced caregivers in the best memory care facilities can help provide a much less stressful experience for your loved one. They can also teach family members how to communicate more effectively and answer questions about how Alzheimer’s affects the brain. If you can’t experience a virtual dementia tour yourself, these caregivers are valuable sources of information and comfort for both your loved one and your family.

If you’d like to find out more about the services offered at our memory care units and assisted living facilities, please contact us today.

Posted in: Blog